


Chems and Charisma

by jreamweaver



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Drug Use, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Recreational Drug Use
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:55:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26379952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jreamweaver/pseuds/jreamweaver
Summary: Henry Quinn wakes up with a vague memory of who he is and what he was doing, but a few hours later his whole world is upended. A newly freed Institute Synth with memories from the man he was supposed to replace, some poor sod from Vault 111 Quinn has to now figure out who he is and where he fits into this world while solving the mystery of the real Henry's missing son. The story is adjacent to the canon plot of the game, but with some liberties taken to fit a not-so-canon sole survivor.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 5





	1. A Rude Awakening

Henry Quinn was having a terrible day, or at least he thought he was. His memory was a little fuzzy, and his head felt like he had vertibird crash into it. He couldn't quite remember why his caravan was wandering through the north-west corner of the Commonwealth, but he was 90% positive they were attacked by raiders this morning, or maybe it was last night. He reached up and felt a gash on the back of his head, complete with a tacky layer of almost dried blood. That explains why everything is so fuzzy. He looked down at his Pip-Boy, to see exactly where the hell he was. Luckily the device had picked up a vault right on the other side of the hill he was on. Must be where we were going, vaults mean caps. He looked around for anything he might be able to use as leverage to get into the vault, finding only a carton of dirty water, a switch blade, and a laser fire with about half a fusion cell left. He slid the blade into his boot and put the rifle in his pack. The raiders must of taken everything else. He would rather not get into another fight, but hopefully the vault-dwellers would take some pity on him and at least give him a stimpak

Vault 111 was a mess. A cold, confusing mess that only served to make Henry's headache worse. The pods full of people who look far too familiar, especially that woman, the logs said her name was Nora. His heart tugs thinking about her, the door to her pod was damaged, looked like someone had tried to pry the thing open, and smash the glass. He's assumed it was the work of the one fresh corpse in the place. That man could have been his twin, hell, a different haircut and a couple of scars and it could have been him. Something twanged in the back of his head as he thought about that man, killed by roaches only feet from the exit. 

Henry ran his fingers over the holotape he took off the body, wondering if he should listen to it before he scrubbed it to resell. Maybe when he found a safe place to settle for the night. It was a long way to Diamond City and there was no way in hell he was gonna walk in the dark by himself. He could see the remains of a town further down the hill from the vault, some of the houses even still had roofs, and it didn't look like anyone was there either. He ducked into the small operating booth and checked the 10mm he had found. Something about the pistol felt so much better than the laser rifle. The weight, the cool metal, the kick. He had no memory of learning how to shoot either weapon, but he knew that he preferred the pistol, and that he could sell the rifle in Diamond City for a good hundred caps. Not to mention, finding 10mm ammo in the Commonwealth was easier than finding dinner that didn't try to kill you first. Something red caught the corner of his eye, an inhaler of jet. Someone had been here since he went down, since he sure as hell didn't see it when he turned on the elevator a couple hours ago. It made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. 

Pistol at the ready Henry made his way down to the town, checking around every corner with an oddly practiced precision. He avoided the Mr. Handy he could hear whirring about as he took out the bloatflies and roaches that infested the area. Of course the bot is in front of the one house with four solid walls and a working door. He took a deep breath and got ready to fight the thing, somehow knowing that the eyes are the fastest way to take it out.

"Mr. Henry?" It was talking to him. "Its been so long! I thought you and the missus were never coming home." Its voice was British, obviously programmed to be a butler, and hadn't had its memory scrubbed in a while if it had this much personality. Henry lowered the gun but kept his distance. 

"I think you have me mistaken for someone else."

"Of course not. You left with Ms. Nora and young Shawn in quite the hurry."

His head began to throb and his vision went white. He remembered. He remembered talking to the Vault Tech Rep and being so annoyed that he made Nora finish the paperwork. And then they were planning to go to the park, he was about to put Shawn in a onsie that looked like polar bear when Codsworth called them to the living room. The bombs, they were dropping. He ran. Up the hill, pulling Nora the whole way. Shawn was in her arms, crying. The sound makes him focus, grounds him. This isn't the war, he isn't a soldier,but a father. He hugs Nora as they stand on the platform, the light from the explosion filling his vision. She takes Shawn into her pod, he watches them as he falls asleep. When his vision came back he was on the ground, grabbing the sides of his head. 

"Mr. Henry? Are you alright sir?"

"Fuck. No. Shit. My bag." The robot... Codsworth, hooked the bag and put it into Henry's waiting hands, wasting no time rifles through until he finds what he's looking for. The smooth plastic of the jet inhaler feels odd against his lips compared to the acrid smell it gives off as he huffs the chems. A deep breath in and his heart rate begins to still, his mind slows down. What the fick did I just see.

"Sir, you told Ms Nora you stopped using recreational chemicals when she found out she was pregnant." Was that disdain in the bot's voice? Fuck if it was it didn't matter. He wasn't that Henry. Or was he? The jet didn't last nearly long enough and his headache began to come back as the world shifted back into focus.

"Yeah, sure Codsworth. I need to rest, can we talk in the morning?"

"Of course, sir. Shall I search the area and keep an eye out for Ms Nora while you rest?"

Henry was already walking into the house, he waved a hand at the robot. It could figure out what that meant in its own. He needed to sleep. He got changed, the stark white suit he had been wearing felt wrong and he had picked up a fresh vault suit in 111. He slid into it, causing another burst of memories to ravage his head. When the episode passed he laid himself on the bed, pleasantly surprised there was not too disgusting blanket to wrap around himself. Here goes nothing, he thought, and took another hit of jet, emptying the canyister this time. The chems hit harder, this time, pulling him into sleep. 

He woke up with a sickening understanding of his situation. Either the sleep or the jet had sorted out his brain overnight, let the right wires reconnect and the memories all fall into place. The people of 111 looked so familiar because he knew them. He had cut their lawns and fixed their kids bikes. Reminisced about barracks life with the other retired soldiers. Nora.... his wife, dead in a pod just up the hill. And he was dead with her. Feet away from the exit, killed by roaches. Except that wasn't him. He was different, ever so slightly. A little too smooth around the eyes, scars on his face where the original him didn't, patches of colorless skin from the radiation exposure that the original Henry never had. He was a replacement. A synth. His caravan wasn't jumped by raiders yesterday, his delivery was interrupted, by someone, something. That part was still fuzzy though, but the memory planted temporarily in his brain that he was a trader had carried him faithfully through the day. 

So now what? Henry was dead, despite Codsworth thinking he was Henry. He could hear the 'bot whirring around in the kitchen and wondered what to do. The thing was probably one bit of bad news away from snapping and becoming a Mr Gutsy and he did not have the patience or ammo to deal with that. 

"Hey Codsworth," he called out while packing anything that might be useful into his pack. 

"Yes sir" 

"I'm gonna head out, see if I can find some other people."

"Maybe you can go to Concord? Perhaps that's where Ms Nora and young Shawn have gone." Damn if that robot didn't look and sound hopeful. Henry put a forced smile on his face. 

"Sure Codsworth. Just, stay here. If I find anything I'll be back." Against his will he gave the robot a little pat on what might be his back before heading out the door and heading to Concord.


	2. Can't Go 10 Feet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quinn gets a new friend and a new(ish) name as well as he starts his exploration into the Commonwealth.

He can't walk 10 feet without finding something that wants him dead. Not even out of Sanctuary Hills and there are more radroaches and bloatflies trying to take the blood that he very much would like to keep inside his body. He did find a nice little cache of chems and caps that he stowed in his pack. Then he found a dead drifter and an equally dead mongrel just across the bridge, he took what he could from them, including the drifter's clothes. It wasn't ideal, but anything was better than the bright white Institute jumpsuit he had been wearing. He saw the Red Rocket not too far ahead and decided that it would be a better place to get changed and sort through his growing pack of junk than going back to Sanctuary and seeing Codsworth again. 

He was pleasantly surprised to find a dog that didn't want him dead. The thing was a little mangy and underfed, but kind and damn good at killing mole rats. 

"What's your name boy?" The dog cocked his head and yawned. "Ya know, for a second I thought you were gonna talk." He finished getting changed, stuffing the jumpsuit into an old, empty ice cooler before stopping to eat. He cooked up the meat he could scavenge off the mole rats and boiled the dirty water he found into something a bit more palatable.

"Dogmeat." He said confidently at the mutt. "Thats what I'll call you." The dog gave a happy yip in response. "Glad you like it." He chuckled and threw some meat to the dog. "Now i just gotta figure out what kind of dog you are and we'll be ready for a show!" 

Dogmeat cocked his head again, visibly confused. He had the coloring of a pre-war German Shepard, but his legs were a little too long, his body too hefty. He was like a Doberman and a Shepard had a baby. Not like it really mattered, as long as Dogmeat wSnt trying to kill him. 

"Wanna go to Concord with me?" Dogmeat gave another excited bark. "Alright, well, let's go then." He ruffled the short fur on the top of the dogs head as the pair began their journey to Concord.

111 was a mess. Sanctuary was a hotbed of bad memories. Concord... Concord was a disaster. Anything that had been repopulated was busted up and ruined by the raiders. The Museum of Freedom was almost totally destroyed, and on top of everything, it had a resident Deathclaw. But. Codsworth was right, there were people in Concord, a group of settlers leaders by the last of the Minutemen. There was a piece of him that knew what that meant, but it was far away and fuzzy and he was too busy dealing with how much he hated power armor to process that right now.

"You okay in there?" The Minuteman asked... Preston, he said his name was Preston. 

"Yeah, just a bit claustrophobic, and I think that deathclaw broke the latch. You think your mechanic friend can pop this can for me?" 

"Hey Sturges! Lend a hand"

A few loud clangs and a lecture about destiny later he was free of the power armor. And after another lecture on the use of chems he managed to escort the settlers back to Sanctuary before it got dark again. The old woman, Mama Murphy, she was too much for him, always talking about how it was fate that brought him to their aid, and how his destiny would lead him to Diamond City. He was going there anyways... but now he wanted to take his time. A sharp bark from Dogmeat alerted him to the presence in his door. 

"Got a sec?" Preston looked different without the hat and laser rifle, almost like an average person instead of a symbol. 

"Yeah, if you don't mind..." he trailed off, looking to the freshly emptied jet canister next to him. "Still shaking off the power armor, it helps."

"I get it. Don't like it, but I get it." Preston finished showing himself into the room and took a seat in the only other chair that still had all four legs. "What you did for us. There are so many more people who need that kind of help. With the Minute Men gone, well, I was hoping someone like you would be willing to help out."

"Look, Preston, I got a lot going on. And I mean, I can barely take care of me."

Preston laughed, but there was no joy in it, just an understanding. Dogmeat nuzzled into his hands, as if trying to distract him from the rejection he was just served. "It just occurred to me, I am asking you to be some sort of savior, and I never even asked your name."

"Oh, huh, didn't even notice that. Names..." he paused, just for a moment. He could say anything, he could be Henry, or he could be, "Quinn."

"Any last name to go with that or?"

"No. Just Quinn." It was a secondary name, just like he was a secondary Henry. It felt more right than Henry.

"Well, Quinn, if you ever change your mind on the whole 'savior of the Commonwealth' idea you know where to find me." Preston stood, and gave Dogmeat one last ear scratch before heading to the door. He turned back and looked at Quinn, already prepping another hit of jet, "You said you were heading out to Diamond City in the morning right?"

"Yeah, got business there," not entirely true, not untrue either if he believed Mama Murphy.

"Well, there's a settlement on the way that is looking for some help. If you want something to do."

Damn Quinn thought to himself as Preston left, that man can see straight through a lie... or I'm just shit at lying. Quinn finished loading up the jet and took the hit, letting himself fade into the vapor. He felt Dogmeat curl up next to him, with his head on Quinn's lap, and damn if it didn't feel ten times better to pet a dog on jet than it did sober. 

The next few days were the same kind of shit show as the first. Quinn did stop at the settlement, and for the low price of 50 caps, a dry bed for the night, and joining the Minute Men he cleared out some more of the local raiders that had been bothering them. After more than his fair share of raiders, an unexpected introduction to feral ghouls, and too many bloatflies later he made it to Diamond City. The great green gem of the Commonwealth... he hated it. 

To begin with, there was Piper, she looked too much like Nora, and was far too interested in his past. 

"Alright smartass, for the last part of the article I want you to speak directly to the people of Diamond City, whenever you're ready."

"Just, live every day for what it is. Take care of each other, the world out there is shit enough. The world in here doesn't have to be, too" His answer took the both of them by surprise. He had been flippant the entire interview, dodging questions and turning them back on her. But this... he felt it. Shit, is this me, or is this a piece of him... or was the asshole him and this is me... fuck.   
"  
"Wow blue... that's... unexpected. Thanks." Piper took out a cigarette and offered him one, which he took a little too fast. She lit them both up and took a seat on her couch. "Look, I don't know what, or who, your lookin' for. But I do know someone who might be able to help. Nick Valentine. His office is in the alley behind Myrna's and hes the best detective I've ever met."

"Thanks Piper, I'll go see him."

"Hey Blue"

"Yeah"

"If you ever need someone to talk to, off the record, you know where to find me."

"Thanks Piper." Quinn walked out the door, grabbing a copy of the newspaper she had handed him when they first came into the city and headed into the market place. Nick Valentine. Well if anything, he can help me find the guy who took Henry's son. Then I can stop thinking about and get to my own life.

"Come on Dogmeat." the dog ran up and tapped Quinn's free hand with his nose, letting the man know he was at his side, and the two walked into the alleys of Diamond City, following the neon pink signs to Nick Valentine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 2! I am hoping to keep up this once a week thing, but I also know that work is about to explode for me so the next chapter might be a while.


	3. Answering Questions with More Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quinn and Nick head out to find Kellogg and get some answers. Too bad they aren't really that helpful

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a time jump between the end of chapter 2 and the beginning of chapter 3. I haven't had a ton of time and couldn't do justice to Cait (I just love her so much) with the spare time I have. One day I hope to make a couple out of order one shots to cover time missed. This one is also kind of short, again, not a lot of spare time, but I had this one mostly done a while ago and just finished it up. Enjoy!

"I'll be outside when you're ready." The old synth walked out the door, giving Quinn time to figure out what he wanted to do. They had a lead on Shawn, and the sooner Quinn closed that mystery, the sooner he could get on with his own life. The last chapter of Henry. The downside was Cait. The two had become close in their travels, and they trusted eachother with their lives. But he still hadn't told her about who he really was, and there was more than a good chance that this Kellogg guy would be more than happy to spill those particular beans. He wasn't prepared for that, not after Cait had opened up to him about her past. 

"Hey Cait," he wasn't prepared for how sad he sounded. He was gonna miss having her around, but he had an idea he hoped she would like. 

"Yeah?" 

"I think I need to go solo for this.... well, solo with Nick."

"I get it, gotta be quick and quiet and I don't exactly blend in here." She was less disappointed than he expected. "I'll head back and see what Tommy is up to then."

"No!" That came out faster than expected, but the last thing he wanted was for her to end up back in the Combat Zone, that place was a death sentence for her. " I have a better idea than that."

"You can fuck off if you think I'm going to Sanctuary. If I have to hear one more of Preston's fucking speeches..." she trailed off, taking a breath the calm down a little. 

"Nah, I was thinking a place of your own." He let it sit for a beat, she didn't immediately start yelling at him so there was hope. "You remember that raider den we cleared a couple weeks ago? Well I talked to Carla and it used to be a settlement called Hangman's Alley and it used to be a waystation for traders. I was thinking, since country life isn't really your calling, maybe you could take it over? Keep it clear, bring in traders, maybe get some settlers who can handle city life, I dunno." 

Cait's face lit up ever so slightly as he spoke. He couldn't tell if it was the idea of her own place or the the idea of a place without Tommy or Preston that appealed more.

"Alright, I think I can do that. A place all to me self might be nice after following your sorry ass for so long." There was a genuine lagh at the end of that. "You'll need to be catching Nick before he rusts into place, I'll head out, you just take care and don't pick up too much junk." She planted a gentle kiss on his cheek as she brushed past him out the door. 

Quinn was honestly surprised that went as well as it did. He expected some sort of fight, but I guess all their time together had rubbed off on both of them. He was less jumpy, stood more on solid ground, and she was less angry. Ready to build something up instead of pummeling everything into the dirt. 

He found Nick outside, taking a long drag off a cigarette. Quinn reached into his pocket to light up one of his own, and was surprised to find his pack gone. He looked down the alley to see Cait turning the corner, freshly lit cigarette hanging from her lips. He should have known better than to take the kiss on the cheek at face value. 

The next three days were rough. It took them two days of following Dogmeat around the Commonwealth to find Kellogg's hidey-hole, and another day to get through the maze of broken walls and synth guards. And for what... to find out the kid is with the Institute, and that there is so much more to it than just finding a kid. Fuck. Then, to just top off all the bullshit, the fucking Brotherhood shows up with their giant airship. Quinn and Nick watched as it slowly crossed the sky over their heads, dropping vertibirds in its wake. Both men had a shiver go down their spines.

"Best be getting back to Diamond City, if there is anyone who knows about the Institute its Piper, maybe she..." Quinn didn't let Nick finish, instead holding up his hand. 

"Nick, I know we should keep looking but, I gotta... I gotta think." Quinn took a hit of jet, still staring at the quickly fading airship. "I think I have history with the Institute, and even if I don't remember them, they know me. I need to figure out what that might mean before I ask someone to go digging for me."

"Makes sense," the detective took a drag off the cigarette Quinn never noticed him lighting. "Just, tell me you won't lose yourself in an inhaler before making your way back to me."

"No promises," Quinn chuckled and placed a hand on Nick's shoulder. "I got a lead on a vault to the west of Diamond City I want to check out. Maybe I'll find something while getting there and back."

"You talking about 81?"

"Yeah, any leads on how to help me get in?"

"Bring something to trade, and don't be stingy."

"Good to know." Quinn looked at the old synth, noting the worry still on his face. "I'll be back and harassing you before you know it."

Nick looked at Quinn before turning and giving Dogmeat a good scratch behind the ear. "Don't let him get in too much trouble, I owe him now and don't need to be breaking him out of some vaultie jail." Dogmeat gave an approving bark as he leaned in for more scratches. "Well, you know where to find me when you're ready."

"Yeah, just don't get captured by some wanna be gangsters while I'm gone."

"No promises."

Nick made his way off the roof of Fort Hagen, leaving Quinn and Dogmeat alone for the first time in almost three weeks. It had only been a couple of months since he woke up outside of 111 and yet so much had happened. He thought finding Henry's kid would help kick the feeling of guilt he had lingering in his gut. That sick, heavy feeling that only the chems made go away, but now finding that kid would lead him back to the people that made him. The people he had spent so long trying to escape. "Fuck." Quinn sat on the edge of the roof, taking another hit of jet and watching the sun slowly set, Dogmeat curled up next to him, placing his head on Quinn's lap. "Well bud, looks like we got a hell of a situation." Dogmeat gave a gentle whine before closing his eyes and starting to snore. "Sleep sounds good to me too." He laid back, careful not to disturb the resting dog or fall off the roof and closed his eyes. 

Flashes of bright white. Images of an old man caressing his face. Shawn's voice. Men in dark leather coats appearing out of nowhere.

Quinn woke with a start, his heart pounding and skin coated in a cold sweat. Dogmeat was already on his feet, growling off at the explosion in the distance. "Let's go check it out." Quinn was out of breath, he popped a couple mentats and chewed them fast, downing them with some of the purified water he has looted from Kellogg's hideout. As the chems kicked in and allowed him his focus back he steadied his heart, pushing the dream out of his mind for now. He racked his remaining ammo into his shotgun, making a mental note to pick up more if he got the chance, and headed towards the fire on the horizon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am hoping to have chapter 4 up in a couple of weeks and that is when the meat of the story and all the angst will begin. Thanks to all of you who are reading and putting up with the random small uploads as I get back into the groove!!


	4. Curie's Body (pt. 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a couple of months of traveling with Curie, she entrusts Quinn with her deepest desire, and now he finally has a solid task to keep his mind off the more troubling parts of his own existence.

"Monsieur Quinn? Where should we head to next?" The robotic form of Curie circled Quinn as he chewed on a slightly burnt mutt chop. "I am very anxious to see if Preston has another job for us, perhaps a settlement further south? I would like to explore the effect of the radiation there on Dogmeat, especially since the typical radiation seems to have no effect on him." She circled Dogmeat who responded to hearing his name by rubbing his head against one of her arms. 

"Actually," he licked the remaining grease off his fingers and threw the bone to Dogmeat. "I was thinking about making a stop in Diamond City."

"Whatever for? We have adequate supplies and..." If it were possible for a robotic orb to look frightened and embarassed, Curie did, and Quinn almost felt guilty about asking her to go back. The last time they stopped into Diamond City was not long after he had rescued her from Vault 81. He needed to drop off some mutated fern to Solomon and wasn't paying attention to his overly curious new companion. She had wandered over to Myrna and tried to barter with her, which went about as well as he could have anticipated. Luckily Piper had been near by to rescue Curie while Quinn was distracted by Solomon's new chems. 

"I know, Curie, they aren't too friendly to you, but I got a friend there who might be able to point us towards what we were talking about the other day." All of Curie's eyes lifted and she spun her body around. 

"Do you mean it! Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Nick is a synth and he might know some people who can connect you with a body of your own." Quinn popped a mentat and rolled it around on his tongue before continuing. "Can't guarantee it will be a one hundred percent human body, if he even knows anyone, but worth a shot." 

Curie whirred and spun in excitement, babbling in a mixture of english and french about all the possibilities that were now in front of her. Quinn smiled and leaned back into the tree he was sat under, feeling content for the first time in weeks. Ever since he had left Fort Hagen he had a weight sitting in the pit of his stomach, filled with so many questions and fears about Henry's son and what finding the kid now meant. He had tried to escape thinking about it by taking on random tasks around the Commonwealth, saving settlements for Preston, recruiting people to stay with Cait at Hangman's Alley, and helping out Vault 81 with their mole rat problem. Having Curie around was good for him. She didn't question the increasing amount of jet and overdrive he had been taking, always ready with a shot of addictol when he took too much. She had alluded to knowing he wasn't fully human, but never brought it up in earnest, just letting it go when she had asked. 

That was until about a week ago when she was oddly subdued during a settlement visit. Normally she zipped around, treating any wounds or sickness, talking to the settler's about their experiences and trying to recruit them into experiments. But this last time she just quietly followed him around as he set up turrets and generators. That's when she dropped it on him that she wondered what it would be like to be human. How she can only gather so much data and learn so much as a robot. So he subtly starting picking up jobs in the direction of Diamond City, waiting until he picked up the radio station to hit her with his plan. It took them less than a day to get to Hangman's Alley where Cait was arguing with a brahmin about it always being in her way. He left Curie there, not wanting to make her go back to Diamond City if it ended up being a dead end, and headed off on his own for the rest of the trip. About fifty dead ferals and six super mutants later Quinn made it back into the gates of the city. 

"Quinn!" Nat jumped off her perch in front of Publick Occurences and ran into his arms, he caught her and spun the girl around. He liked Nat, despite the weight of Shaun that he felt when he saw her. "Where is your friend?"

"Hangman's Alley, where's your sister?"

"Nick's, why, you gonna steal her away?"

"Nah, just got a question for her." He gently put Nat back down and started walking toward's the detective's office. "You keep fightin' the good fight!" he yelled back at the young girl who was already back up on her box.

"Nothing can stop me!"

Quinn still had a dumbass grin on his face when he walked into Nick's office. 

"What has you all giddy Blue?" 

"You sister, makes this city almost worth visiting." Quinn chuckled and took the seat next to her in front of Nick's desk. The synth looked a little concerned, but brushed away whatever was bothering him when Quinn lit up a cigarette and turned towards him. "I got a favor to ask of the both of you."

"Oh really, good that we're together then, huh." The concern came back to Nick's face, as if he suddenly remembered how the two separated a couple of months ago. 

"Yeah," Quinn took a drag off his cigarette and prepared for a long story, "I have a friend, and she needs a new body." Quinn spent the next couple of hours explaining his adventures through Vault 81 and what he and Curie had been doing to Nick and Piper. About halfway through Piper pulled out her notebook and started writing everything that he said. "So... either of you have any leads?

There was quiet for a long time before Piper spoke up. 

"The best I can suggest is findin' the Railroad and seeing if they can help. But I don't know where they are and even if they would help"

"You could go see Dr. Amari in Goodneighbor." Nick lit what had to have been his tenth cigarette since the conversation began and took a long drag, smoke beginning to filter out between the wires on the side of his face. "She's helped me out in the past, she might be able to help you too."

"I can look into finding you some leads on the Railroad, just in case." Piper stood up and turned to leave, "If you do get her a body, I want to meet her, get her story. Could be useful for the people of Diamond City to know that there is more than one good synth out there." She gave a wink to Nick and walked out, leaving the two men behind to chat. 

"This doctor, she a good person?"

"One of the best. She's patched me up more times than I can count. We can head out now if you want."

"Curie is with Cait at Hangman's, it'll take me a day or so to pick her up and meet you there.

"Sounds good to me, I can tie up a loose end here and I'll see you in Goodneighbor." Quinn stood up to take his leave but was stopped by Nick's voice.

"Quinn, you give anymore thought into finding that kid?"

"Yeah, I have, for a while it was all I thought about. I'm not ready to take on the Institute Nick. But when I am, you'll be the first person to know."

"Good."

Quinn walked out of Nick's office and didn't stop walking until he got to Hangman's. He could hear Dogmeat barking at enemies, and the pinging of the rubble around him. None of it mattered to him. For the first time in months he had some good news for someone. And even if these leads didn't go anywhere, it was still nice that there was hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for being so patient this last month of me being away. Life happened. But here is the next chapter! There is another time jump, mostly because it feels a little redundant describing plot quests when all the fun can be imagined in the between parts. I hope you enjoy and the next chapter should be out next week. And that one is where the fun really starts!


	5. Curie's Body (pt. 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quinn and Curie finally make it in to see Dr. Amari, and there is hope. But Quinn gets a little twitchy when asked to sit around and wait, and a certain Mayor might have a job that can take his mind off things for a bit.

It took a good deal of convincing to get Cait to let Curie leave, the two had an interesting bond, and Quinn was hesitant to give Curie any information until he was out of earshot of the ex-raider. After a few promises of bringing her some good booze from one of Goodneighbor's bars Cait conceded and let the pair leave Hangman's Alley.

"What did you find out?" Curie circled Quinn as he silently walked away from the settlement, a sly smirk on his face. "I can see that you are quite pleased with yourself, but I do not know why. Will you please tell me what you have learned from Nick and Piper?" Quinn held up a finger, indicating for her to have patience, and walked for a few more minutes in silence. When he was sure that they were not being followed by Cait or raiders the stopped and lit a cigarette. 

"Nick has a lead in Goodneighbor, and Piper is looking into how we can find the Railroad if Nick's lead doesn't pan out." Curie spun and let out a high-pitched mechanical whine. "Curie!" Quinn's voice was unusually stern. "I don't want to get our hopes up too far. There is a better chance of this not happening than it is of it happening. So, please, don't get too excited." As he spoke his voice softened until it was almost like he was speaking to a child. Curie had only ever hear that voice once before, and it was when he was speaking to Austin while he was recovering from the molerat infection. She stopped spinning and turned all of her eye-stalks towards him. 

"Quinn, even the slightest of hope is something to be excited about. This will be my greatest experiment and I am excited to begin. No matter the outcome." Quinn smiled at the robot and she responded by tapping his forehead with her main stalk. 

"Alright then, let's go to Goodneighbor."

They made the trip to Goodneighbor in record time, considering that Quinn got lost looking at his map three times and ran them into two separate super mutant lairs. But they got to the gates relatively unscathed and only slightly irritated. So when a guy in raider leathers started giving them grief about insurance Quinn was not happy. He felt a gentle nudge from Dogmeat, who someone had preternatural patience for moments, and people, like this. People who were dumb and had poor judgement, but ultimately harmless. What is this man thinking... I have an armored dog, a blood spattered robot, and three visible guns.... what the...

His internal monologue was interrupted by a ghoul in a tricorn hat and a bright red coat. "Finn," his voice was smokey and sent a shot straight to Quinn's stomach. "The first time someone comes through the gates, their a guest, lay off the extortion crap" 

"Why do you care? They ain't one of us."

"No love for your mayor, Finn" the man didn't even have a chance to respond before the ghoul sunk a knife into his stomach, then turned to him as the body fell limply to the floor. "Sorry about Finn, the people of Goodneighbor ain't all like him. You alright?"

"I'm fine." Quinn could barely get the words out. He was enthralled. All the people he'd met in the Commonwealth and this one makes him speechless. 

"You finally made it." Nick saved Quinn for thoroughly embarrassing himself in front of the Mayor of Goodneighbor. "Hancock."

"Hey Nicky, introduce me to your friend?" Nick chuckled and dropped the remainder of his cigarette to the ground, stomping out the remaining embers. 

"Mayor Hancock of Goodneighbor this is Quinn, Curie, and Dogmeat." Dogmeat gently walked up to Hancock and gave his bloody hand a sniff, before giving an approving woof and sitting back at Quinn's side. "Hate to cut the meeting short, but Quinn and Curie have an appointment at the Memory Den."

"Ahhh, well, can't keep Irma waiting. Enjoy your stay in Goodneighbor." Hancock tipped his hat the trio before spinning on his heal and heading further into the city. As he passed her a woman with bright red hair and a mean looking chest-plate peeled off the wall and fell in step with him, the two disappearing into the adjoining building. 

"Amari is waiting for us, follow me." Nick led them through the streets of the city and Quinn made a note of where the bar, The Third Rail, was. He owed Cait a bottle of whiskey from there. When they arrived in the Memory Den Nick brought them straight down to the back room, where Dr. Amari was waiting for them. 

"So, Amari, this is Quinn and Curie. Curie here is the one in need of a body."

"Ahhh, I see. Well you might be in luck. I happen to have a patient who can help. Come by tomorrow and we can all discuss it."

Nick lead Curie and Quinn to the Hotel Rexford where he had already booked them a room. 

"What do you think she meant by patient?" Quinn asked, rubbing the last of the water out of his hair. It had been months since he was somewhere with half decent plumbing rigged up, so he had taken a shower while digesting the fact that Curie might have a body this time tomorrow. 

"Knowing Amari, my guess is a synth body that the Railroad secreted out of The Institute. She's worked with them in the past." Nick turned to Curie, who was silently hovering in the corner. "If it is that, then it won't be a fully human body, but pretty damn close." Curie turned towards the men, her eye stalks flipping between them, as if trying to gauge a proper response. 

"Is that okay with you? You wanted to be human, but...." Quinn trailed off. But what he thought but what is a synth isn't human enough? What does that make me then. Not human? He was about to be swallowed by this thoughts when she spoke up.

"That would be magnifique!" her voice was chipper and excited. "Quinn and I have encountered many synths on our journeys and their anatomy is fascinating. The comparison between that and my current form would be most informative!" She began to regal Nick with stories about their encounters with various synths and Quinn quietly got dressed and made a stealthy exit, making his way to The Third Rail. 

The bar was almost what he expected. A beautiful woman crooning in the corner, various ghouls and what could have been raiders mixing with city residents having drinks and, much to Quinn's relief, chems. He ordered some whiskey from White Chapel Charlie, the Mr. Handsy bartender, before taking a seat and huffing some jet, letting himself slowly sink into the sounds of the singer in the corner. H wasn't sure how long he had been there when he felt Charlie tap him on the shoulder. Quinn shot him a look that, if Charlie had been human, would have gotten him stabbed. 

"Calm down there, I got a proposition for ya"

"I'm listening." Quinn responded. Not like he had much of a choice. The combo of whiskey and a few puffs of jet made his legs slow to respond, so he couldn't quite get up if he wanted. 

"My employer has a bit of a 'rat problem' if ya catch my drift. An you look like the kind of bloke who can take care of that." Quinn looked around the bar, there had to be at least four different mercs, and those were just the ones with visible weapons.

"Why not ask anyone else, I'm not really looking for work right now."

"Well the problem is in the city, so can't really use any of my regulars. My employer pays well for good work, if ya want it." If a robot could look expectant, this one did. Quinn thought it over, he didn't want to start trouble in this town, not knowing how things were going to happen tomorrow, and especially not after seeing how the Mayor dealt with bad operators. 

"I'm gonna need to know where the caps are coming from first. I don't wanna make bad here before knowing if I want to stick around." The question hung between the two for just a moment.

"Fine." The robot lowered the volume on its voice. "The job comes from Mayor Hancock 'imself. He just can't carry out the deed, politics and all that." 

Hancock the electric shot hit Quinn in the stomach again as he remembered his introduction to the ghoul. Might as well make a good impression. 

"All right. I'll take care of his rat problem. Show me where." Quinn held out his Pip-Boy and let Charlie mark the three warehouses on his map before popping a mentat. "I'll be done in a few hours." He walked away before Charlie could respond. He was too keyed up to go back to the Rexford, so earning a few caps while making himself known as an asset in the felt like a win to Quinn. It was odd, he hadn't been fully alone since he left Sanctuary after waking up outside 111. Dogmeat was with Nick and Curie, so it was just him and his gun. He found this to be highly effective on the wannabe gangsters trying to set up an operation in Goodneighbor. Quinn was quieter than he remembered, with no dog to run ahead he managed to take out almost all of them with no issue, only one managed to get a shot off at him, but it was nothing a couple bandages and a good night's sleep couldn't fix. When he got back to the Third Rail Charlie was amazed and sent a runner to confirm Quinn's work. 

"You work fast."

"Didn't have anything else to do. How much for the bottle?" Quinn gestured to the full bottle of whiskey on the shelf, remembering his deal with Cait. 

"10 caps."

"I think I can handles that." Quinn smirked, having just gotten 200 caps for clearing the warehouses. "Pleasure doing business with you." Quinn nodded to the bartender and walked back to the Rexford, bottle gently cradled under his arm.

When he got back to the room Nick and Curie had both powered down, and Dogmeat was curled up on the bed, only briefly raising his head to confirm that it was Quinn walking in the room. He shed his armor and shoes before joining the dog in bed. Nick shook him awake a few hours later.

"Ready?" Curie was delicately laying out some of her less than necessary items on the bed, prepping for the possibility that she might not be able to carry them back later. "If she is, then so am I." He rubbed his eyes, he should have come back sooner and gotten more sleep. His eyelids felt like sandpaper, and he could feel the after effects of the psycho he took while clearing the second warehouse. The trio was quiet on their short walk to the Memory Den, no quips from Nick or observations from Curie, it was odd. But Quinn felt it too, if this worked, everything would change, and if it didn't... Quinn didn't want to entertain that. They entered the Den and Irma pointed to the back room, letting them pass right through. Amari was in her surgery, with two women. One was older, her eyes red from tears, sharing quiet words with Amari. The other was younger, she had short brown hair and was staring blankly at the entrance, and made no indication that she knew they where there. 

The flashback hit Quinn like a deathclaw fist. The dead eyed stare of the synth bodies. They hadn't had their personalities downloaded yet, but they could walk and talk. Their voices robotic and empty. Quinn saw himself like this too, an empty shell, freshly wiped after another attempt at escape. He couldn't breathe for a moment and when he came back too Amari and Nick were standing beside him, ready to catch him if he fell. 

"Monsieur Quinn!" Curie's voice was tinged with worry, he held up his hand.

"I'm fine, just a rough night catching up, don't worry about me." He popped a mentat and leaned back against the wall. "So Doc, we got a body?" The older woman looked at him, judging for a moment before turning back to Amari. 

"I wish I could wait longer, but I'm out of caps and can't afford to keep caring for her." The older woman gestured to the synth body in the center of the room. "Please, just tell me you'll be good to her." She shot another look at Quinn and he immediately felt guilty. He must look like garbage, popping chems and asking for a body. He went to speak, but Curie beat him to it. 

"I promise. I will treat this body with the same care as I have treated this one." She spun, showing the woman the immaculate white shell that she currently occupied. The woman sighed and nodded, shooting Quinn one last dirty look before guiding the synth into one of the chairs in the center of the room. She nodded to Amari and left, Quinn could hear her say a few words to Irma before her footsteps faded. 

"Curie if you would." Amari pointed to a space beside the chair where she had a harness hooked up. When Curie floated into place, she began to attach various wires and pads. "Gentleman, this will take a while, might even take all day, so you might be more comfortable upstairs." Nick nodded, once to Amari and once to Curie before making his way up to the waiting room. Quinn walked over to Curie, making sure not to step on any of the wires. 

"See you on the other side." He gave her a small kiss on what could have been interpreted as her forehead. "You take care of her Doc, and first sign that it ain't gonna work, you put her back. I'd rather have my girl be a robot than not have her at all."

"Of course." Amari was distracted, still attaching wires. 

"Quinn?" Curie's voice was quiet, almost scared.

"Ya."

"See you on the other side." He gave her a big smile before heading upstairs to join Nick. 

Quinn was anxious, his skin felt hot and itchy, his mouth was dry, he couldn't get anything that felt like a deep breath. At first he thought it was the chems, he had taken either too many, or the wrong combo, so he walked right past the waiting room and made his way over to the Third Rail. Eliciting a look, but no words from Nick, who seemed to be just as worried about Curie as he was. 

He sat on the far more comfortable than it looks couch with a chipped tumbler of whiskey. Magnolia, the lounge singer, gave him a wink and started her set. The itch didn't go away. Even after a few more drinks and about an hour of Mags' sultry crooning. All that changed was he had another memory of Henry's to deal with. Ever since being around Austin in 81 the memories had been coming back faster. Bad enough he had to have flashbacks from the Institute, now he was remembering Henry's life more as well. Turns out, Henry was an adequate husband.... at best. Magnolia was exactly the kind of woman that Henry would have slept with instead of going home after work. 

Quinn wondered if Nora knew, if the baby was her way of trying to stop her husband from straying. Would he be the same way? He had traveled with Cait for a long while and never felt compelled to sleep with her, and Magnolia was right there, but nothing stirred. Nothing sexual at least. As a matter of fact, the only twitch of sexual attraction he had felt, that wasn't a memory of Henry's, was when he watched the mayor shank Finn when he and Curie first arrived in Goodneighbor. He didn't have the energy to even try to unpack that thought right now. 

He stood up. Alcohol wasn't getting rid of the itch, neither were the chems. Since leaving Curie with Dr Amari he had felt restless, useless. For the first time, he had permission to just wait and relax, and he couldn't. He was too worried about Curie, about what might happen if this didn't work. About living with the fact that he had a robotic/human hybrid body, experiencing everything she wanted too, and she didn't. 

He needed to do something. He had some settlements he could check on, but all of them would take him out of Goodneighbor for a week minimum, and that was too long. The Mayor, he had cleared out those warehouses for him, maybe he had more work. He went to Charlie and made some inquiries, but he had nothing yet.

"You could just go see 'im yourself. Hancock has an open door policy for all in Goodneighbor." Quinn didn't even respond with words, just a nod and a grunt before heading up the stairs. 

He walked a little too quickly to the Old Statehouse, bumping into a drifter Wasn't he that guard in Diamond City? as he entered the building. He took the stairs up to the Mayor's office two at a time and then ran directly into Fahrenheit. 

"Sorry," he tried to look the woman in the eye, but was immediately cowed by her. She had the same intensity as Cait, but none of the warmth he had earned from the ex-raider. So the mayor has a body guard, good to know. He filed the information away in case he ever needed it. "I'm looking for Hancock?"

"They always are." She chuckled. "Hancock! You got company!" She yelled across the hall at a pair of closed double doors. "Take a seat, normally takes him a minute." She smiled and lit a cigarette before taking her place in the corner of the room. 

The two sat in silence, only the sound of Farenheit's cigarette burning down filling the room. Quinn took the time to absorb as much information as he could. The table covered in chems and water, the terminal in the corner. The addictol and med-x on the counter. This man knew what he was doing, and exactly the people he was playing with. Quinn could tell that from Farenheit's corner she could see the front door and the entire room. She was the muscle, so Hancock must be the brains and the charisma. Just like him and Cait. 

Quinn was forming another set of thoughts when he heard the door across the hall open. The first figure out was what looked like a gunner recruit. The tight haircut and perfectly pressed fatigues giving it away, she smiled back into the doorway before heading straight down the stairs and out the door. Ok... exactly like me and Cait... got it. The second figure out was the Mayor himself, his shirt still unbuttoned as he finished adjusting the flag he wore for a belt. 

"Sorry for the wait," the ghoul flashed a knowing smile in Quinn's direction. "Can't leave a lady hangin'" he chuckled, choosing to light up a cigarette instead of fix his shirt. Quinn felt itchy again, but now the itch was warmer, creeping up from the base of his guts instead of on his skin. He lit up his own cigarette, just to have an excuse to look away and compose himself, but he could have sworn he heard a chuckle from Fahrenheit as he did. 

"It was Quinn right? You came rolling into town with Nicky? The one Finn started his shit with... gonna miss his gun next super mutant attack." He took a moment, almost as if he was having his only personal moment of silence for the dead. "Ah well. What can I do for you brother?" 

"Actually, I was hoping I could do something for you." Quinn added a little extra lilt onto the end of the sentence, whether it was intentional or not he didn't really know. But it make the ghoul snort a little of his drink, and Quinn took that as a victory. "My friends got business at the Memory Den and I don't like having idle hands. Thought maybe you might have some work that needs to be done." 

"Hmmmmm, actually," Hancock and Fahrenheit shared a look before the mayor continued. "Seeing as you are pretty good at getting in and out of places. Nice work with the rat problem by the way. I could use you to do some scouting for me. There's a place up in raider territory, called Pickman's Gallery. The raiders up there have gotten real quiet." The mayor slid into the couch next to Quinn, turning to face the man and making their feet touch ever so slightly. A touch that Quinn was far too aware of. "Like that uncomfortable post coitus quiet, ya dig? I need someone to check it out for me. Figure out whats happening. And not some peek through a sniper scope, getting deep in there and bringing me back what need."

The ghoul took a long drag off his cigarette as Quinn thought over the offer.

"Check it out, no problem. Can you mark it on my map?" Quinn turned the dial on his Pip-Boy, bringing up the map of 'new' Boston he had been building before holding his arm out to Hancock. The ghoul took his time, slowly zooming in on the neighborhood by the waterfront, and placing a marker where the gallery sat. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know you technically can't get Curie a body before doing the whole Kellogg's memory thing, but then again, it is also only suggested that you are a synth and not confirmed so... canon divergence. I'm so happy to finally get Hancock into the mix!!! This is what we have been waiting for, red alert, get ready, Quinn is in trouble kids.

**Author's Note:**

> This is just chapter one of I don't know how many. I plan on following through the main plot and then how he ends up afterwards. I will update the tags as more characters appear and new situations arise. 
> 
> I know I'm like 200 years late on fic for this game, but quarantine got me back into it and into writing so... here goes nothing!


End file.
